UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2022
MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KY.
 
Kentucky 81, Mississippi State 74 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 11-11, 4-8 in the SEC this season, while Mississippi State 15-9, 6-6 in the league.
  • This was the 52nd all-time meeting between Kentucky and Mississippi State.
  • The Wildcats lead the series all-time 30-22, including a 14-9 mark in Lexington.
  • Kentucky has won three of the last four meetings.
• Kentucky is in its 48th season with a 874-598 (.606) all-time record.
• UK is 509-183 all-time at home (.735). Kentucky is 479-164 (.745) all-time in Memorial Coliseum.
  • Kyra Elzy is 20-7 at home as UK’s head coach, including a 18-5 mark inside Memorial Coliseum.
  • Kentucky is 9-5 at home this season, including 9-3 in Memorial Coliseum.
• Kyra Elzy is in her second season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 29-20 overall record.
• Kentucky will be back in action Thursday, Feb. 17 vs. Vanderbilt inside Memorial Coliseum. The game will tip at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network+ and the UK Sports Network.  

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination of senior guards Rhyne Howard and Jazmine Massengill, sophomore forward Treasure Hunt and Nyah Leveretter, and freshman guard Jada Walker.
  • This is the first time that UK has used this starting combination this season.
  • Jada Walker scored first for Kentucky in the game. It was the team-leading seventh time this season she has scored first.
  • Dre’una Edwards was the first sub for Kentucky. It was the fourth time she has been the first Wildcat off the bench.
  • Mississippi State won the opening tip. It was the 13th time that UK has lost the opening tip.
• It was a game of runs in the first quarter as UK led 25-22 at the break.
  • UK went on a 10-0 run to go up 20-10 with 2:34 to go, but Mississippi State answered by scoring 12 of the next 14 points to tie the game 22-22.
  • Treasure Hunt hit a 3 at the buzzer to give UK the lead at the break.
  • UK was just 8-of-18 from the field in the first quarter, while Mississippi State was 9-of-14.
• Kentucky led 33-26 with 6:29 with to go in the second quarter but Mississippi State answered with a 16-0 run over the next 3:01 of play to take a 42-33 lead and force a UK timeout at 3:13.
  • MSU hit four 3s during the run as UK missed five straight shots with several turnovers.
  • The run was aided by UK foul trouble as both Rhyne Howard and Jada Walker picked up their second fouls at the start of the foul and went to the bench.
  • Out of the UK timeout, Massengill hit a layup to stop the run.
• Mississippi State outscored UK 25-16 in the second quarter to take a 47-41 lead into the break at halftime.
  • The Bulldogs were 18-of-28 from the field in the first half, including 7-of-12 from 3.
  • Kentucky was 13-of-35 from the field and 5-of-14 from 3.
  • Although UK only had four first-half turnovers, the Bulldogs scored seven points off those errors.
  • Kentucky had a 8-3 edge in offensive rebounds in the first half, but MSU had a 4-3 edge in second-chance points.
  • Mississippi State scored 20 first-half points in the paint and 21 points off 3-pointers.
• The Bulldogs extended their lead in the third quarter, outscoring UK 17-16 to take a 64-57 lead into the break.
  • UK had cut the lead to five and had the ball under a minute, but a turnover, which led to another MSU layup extended it back to seven.
  • UK was just 5-of-18 from the field in the third quarter.
  • Four of UK’s five makes were assisted in the third quarter.
• Mississippi State started the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run to take charge of the game, but the Wildcats came roaring back.
• The Bulldogs had a 15-point lead 72-57 with 7:10 to go in the fourth quarter before Kentucky ended the game on a 24-2 run, including 8-0 in the final 1:17 to grab the win.
  • Mississippi State missed its last four field goal attempts and made just one of its last 12 shots.
  • UK outscored Mississippi State 24-10 in the fourth quarter.
• This tied Kentucky’s 11th-largest comeback in school history.
  • UK also came back down 15 on March 6, 2015 vs. Mississippi State.
  • This is UK’s largest comeback since trailing Indiana by 14 on Dec. 6, 2020.
  • This was UK’s largest comeback in the final 10 minutes of a game since it trailed Louisville by 16 with 6:44 to go in December, 2014.
  • This is the largest comeback for Kentucky under Kyra Elzy.
• This is the first time UK has scored 80+ points in a game since 84 vs. Georgia to start conference play on Jan. 6.
• This is the first time that UK has scored 20+ points in multiple quarters since its win at Auburn on Jan. 25.  
• Kentucky outrebounded Mississippi State by 15, which was UK’s largest rebounding margin in league play and the most since it had a +15 margin vs. West Virginia.
• Kentucky’s 23 assists were its most in league play this season and the most since it had 30 against Merrimack on Dec. 5.
• UK’s 24 free-throws attempted was its most in a league game this season and second most in a game overall this year.
  • UK’s percentage of 92 percent was its best in a game this season.
• UK had 30 paint points to 32 by MSU, marking the first time this season UK has won a game when its opponent outscored the Wildcats in the paint.
• Kentucky’s 21 second-chance points was its most in a SEC game this season and most since it had 21 against WVU in December.
• Kentucky’s seven 3s made tied its most in a league game this season. UK also had seven against Auburn, South Carolina and LSU.

 
Player Notes

• Rhyne Howard scored 16 points with 11 rebounds, adding six assists, two steals and two blocks.  

  • For her career, Howard has scored 2,088 career points. Howard ranks second in Kentucky WBB history in points scored with the top spot – Valerie Still, 2,763 – more than likely out of reach. However, Howard could become the second all-time leading scorer in school history – both men’s and women’s – if she scores 50 more points, which would pass Dan Issel, who is the men’s all-time leading scorer at 2,138.
  • Howard ranks second in school history in career scoring average at 19.9, while she is third in field-goals made with 726, second in career 3s made with 255 and fourth in career 3-point field-goal percentage at 37.2. She is also fourth in UK history in steals per game at 2.381.
  • In 105 career games, Howard has …
    • Hit at least one 3 in 90 career games, including 17 times this season.
    • Made three or more 3s in 43 career games, including six this season.
    • Made five or more 3s in 14 career games, including twice this season.
    • Scored 10+ points in 93 career game, including 19 times this season.
    • Scored 15+ points in 77 career games, including 18 times this season.
    • Scored 20+ points in 57 career games, including 13 times this season.
    • Scored 25+ points in 30 career games, including four times this season.
    • Scored 30+ points in 8 career games, including one this season.
    • Led UK in scoring in 68 career games, including 14 times this season.
    • Led UK in rebounding in 58 career games, including 13 times this season.
    • Led UK in assists in 39 career games, including 10 times this season.
    • Led UK in steals in 45 career games, including 14 times this season.
    • Led UK in blocks in 42 career games, including 11 times this season.
    • Has 25 career double-doubles, including eight this season.
    • Has 1 triple double.
• Dre’una Edwards scored 23 points with 10 rebounds, adding three assists, three blocks and two steals.
  • Edwards recorded her seventh double-double of the season in the game.
  • This was the sixth 20+ scoring game for Edwards and her second straight.
  • This was the sixth time she has led UK in scoring this season.
  • Kentucky is 6-0 this season when she has scored 20+ points.
  • Edwards tied her career-best free-throw performance, going 9-for-9. She also went 9-for-9 as a freshman at Utah vs. UCLA.
  • This was the fourth time she has had four or more blocks.
• Jada Walker scored 17 points with five rebounds and two assists, going 3-of-3 from long range.
  • This was the 11th time this season she has scored 10 or more points.
• Jazmine Massengill scored five of her nine points in the fourth quarter with two assists and four rebounds in the final 10 minutes.